My February Salad: Hot-Honey Harissa Brussels Sprouts with Pita “Granola,” Dates, and Warm Sumac-Pickle Dressing
February is when I want my salads to behave like comfort food—warm, glossy, loud. This one was born in London on a grey night when I missed Tel Aviv’s market chaos: briny pickles, sticky sweets, spice in the air, herbs everywhere. I had Brussels sprouts (very London), a jar of harissa (very me), and half a container of pickles I refused to throw out.
I roast the sprouts hard so the edges go almost candied, then I toss them while they’re still hot—aggressively—so they drink up that warm sumac-pickle dressing and turn glossy. The hot honey and harissa give you sweet heat; the dates echo it with chew and caramel; and then comes my favorite trick: pita “granola.” Torn pita, toasted with oil and spices until it’s shatter-crisp, like a mezze-table answer to croutons.
What makes it special is the texture chaos: soft-warm sprouts, sticky dates, crunchy pita, and a blizzard of herbs.
Make it yours: swap dates for dried apricots, add chickpeas for extra heft, or (my forever advice) drizzle tahini on top like you mean it.
Featured Recipe
Hot-Honey Harissa Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Pita “Granola,” Dates, and a Warm Sumac-Pickle Dressing
This is my February kind of salad: roasted Brussels sprouts still warm from the oven, aggressively tossed so they drink up a punchy, spicy-sour dressing and go glossy at the edges. I fold in a loud amount of herbs, sticky dates, and a crunchy pita “granola” that turns it into a main-side—something you can eat straight from the bowl while the rest of dinner catches up.
Save a copy to your collection for editing
Ingredients
- 700 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered if large)
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil(divided)
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or mild chili flakes)(plus more to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Harissa paste(adjust to heat level)
- 1 tbsp Honey(or date syrup for deeper sweetness)
- 2 Pita bread(large rounds, torn into 2–3 cm shards)
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds(white or mixed)
- 1 tsp Nigella seeds (optional)(that toasty oniony bite)
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped(about 120 g)
- 3 Scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Fresh mint leaves(loosely packed, torn)
- 1 cup Fresh parsley leaves and tender stems(loosely packed)
- 1/2 cup Fresh dill(loosely packed)
- 1 Lemon (zest + juice)
- 3 tbsp Quick-pickle brine (from pickled onions or pickled cucumbers)(or use 2 tbsp vinegar + 1 tbsp water + pinch sugar)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Sumac(plus more to finish)
- 1 clove Garlic, finely grated
- 1/2 cup Toasted walnuts, roughly chopped(or pistachios)
- 80 g Crumbled feta (optional)(for a salty creamy hit)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Put a large sheet pan in the oven while it heats—hot pan = better blistering on the sprouts.
10 min
Tip: This is my little London flat trick: preheating the tray gives you that restaurant edge-char without deep-frying anything.
- 2
Roast the Brussels sprouts: toss 700 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered if large) with 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp Black pepper, 1 tsp Ground cumin, and 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or mild chili flakes). Carefully spread onto the hot sheet pan, cut-sides down where you can. Roast until deeply browned and tender-crisp, 18–22 minutes, tossing once halfway.
22 min
Tip: Don’t be shy with color. Pale sprouts taste like virtue. Dark edges taste like dinner.
- 3
Make the pita “granola”: on a second sheet pan, toss 2 Pita bread with 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, and 1 tsp Nigella seeds (optional). Bake for 8–10 minutes, tossing once, until golden and very crisp.
10 min
Tip: Let it cool on the pan—it crisps as it sits. This is your crunch insurance policy.
- 4
Whisk the warm dressing in a large serving bowl (this matters): 1 1/2 tbsp Harissa paste, 1 tbsp Honey, remaining 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Lemon (zest + juice), 3 tbsp Quick-pickle brine (from pickled onions or pickled cucumbers), 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp Sumac, and 1 clove Garlic, finely grated. If your kitchen is cold, warm the bowl for 30 seconds with hot water, then dry it and whisk—your dressing will emulsify beautifully.
5 min
Tip: Pickle brine is my secret sour note: sharper than lemon, less aggressive than straight vinegar, and it screams “mezze table.”
- 5
Aggressive toss: add the hot roasted sprouts straight into the bowl with the dressing. Toss hard for 20–30 seconds so some sprouts lightly smash and the leaves get coated and glossy.
2 min
Tip: This is the technique focus: warm dressing + hot veg + force = a salad that tastes cooked, not just dressed.
- 6
Fold in 3 Scallions, thinly sliced, 6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped, 1/2 cup Toasted walnuts, roughly chopped, and 1 cup Fresh mint leaves, 1 cup Fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, 1/2 cup Fresh dill. Toss again. Taste and correct: more lemon for brightness, more sumac for tang, more Aleppo for warmth, salt to make it sing.
3 min
Tip: Add herbs at the end so they stay green and perfumed, not bruised into sadness.
- 7
Finish and serve: top with 80 g Crumbled feta (optional), a final dusting of 2 tsp Sumac, and the pita “granola” right before serving for maximum crunch.
2 min
Tip: If you’re serving later, keep the pita separate and sprinkle at the last second—texture is the whole story here.
Chef's Notes
This salad is basically my Tel Aviv mezze instincts wearing a London winter coat. It’s spicy-sour and herby like the salads I grew up eating next to grilled things, but it has the roasted depth I learned to chase in tiny ovens. Substitutions: swap dates for dried apricots; walnuts for almonds; feta for a spoon of thick yogurt on the side. If you want it to lean more “main-side,” add a can of rinsed chickpeas—toss them in with the hot sprouts so they drink the dressing too.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.